Who's in Alaska?

[MattInVegas]

Anybody in Alaska? Anywhere? I'd like to talk at ya if you are...
PM me, or reply here.
Thanks.

[freeinalaska]

I'm here!

[dirtybongwater]

Not currently there, have been twice though.
My father and sister both live in Fairbanks.

[MattInVegas]

I was just curious about what it's like to live there. I've lived in COLD places and it doesn't bother me. I get along WELL with Native Americans. I'm sick and tired of Desert and Cacti.

[dirtybongwater]

I can tell you this, my father has lived their (in the Chena River valley) for 8 years and there is no sign of him departing anytime soon.
Alaska is the most amazing place i have ever, and will ever see in my entire life. Its one of the last true wildernesses. There is something like only 3 percent of the entire state that is actually occupied by humans, and the state itself is bigger then twice the size of Texas.
Its a different way of life up there. I do plan to own a piece of land there someday

[MattInVegas]

Shit! Sounds GREAT! I'd have to go to a small to medium size populus. Smaller than Fairbanks, but larger than say, a place with three or four shacks and one bar.
I'm thinking a place with a population of about 2000 people.

[dirtybongwater]

Where my father lives is techically considered Fairbanks although he's not actually in the 'city'. He's like a 15-20 minute drive from it. I think its the ideal situation being in the middle of nowhere on some tiny dirt road yet your still able to go into town to pick up the necessities.... You don't want to cut mankind out completely in a place like Alaska.

[MattInVegas]

Anyone know about the Kodiac area?

[MattInVegas]

Nevermind the Kodiak area. I just learned the cost of living there is 130 percent of the US National Average! Fuck THAT!

[Sus]

I've never been to Alaska, Matt, but I have heard from a friend that has been there that the cost of living is somewhat higher than in the rest of the US because so much, esp. food-wise, has to be imported from other places that have longer growing seasons. Not sure what the numbers are, as this is hearsay information from a buddy...maybe dirtybongwater knows more...

[MattInVegas]

I got my figures from the STATE website. (Alaska.com)

[dirtybongwater]

The cost of living is a bit higher then the national average, but citizens of Alaska also recieve a check from the govenrment every year because of the oil revenue. If you play your cards right and are involved in the right profession you can live quite well.
Quite a few of the citizens make enough money in 9 months out of the year to where they can take the remaining 3.

[soulrebel51]

I lived there when I was younger.... most beautiful state in the union. I miss it :(

[prismatism]

howdy. i live in alaska. the winters are pretty harsh but they're beautiful, and the summers are absolutely amazing. and the people are great too, but i live in a small town. actually, if you've seen Snowdogs, it's the town their town is based off of :). a tiny bit more populated though.

[Alaskan]

Hi Matt:
Seward, Alaska our little bit of heaven. We are about 125 miles(by road) south
of Anchorage. Simple to find, go south on Seward Hi way, when you run out of road your in downtown Seward. All 2 1/2 blocks of it.
Seward sits at the head of Resurrection Bay, its an ice free port, so thats why the Alaska Railroad starts here. We are a commercial fishing port with 3 fish processing plants. Numerous charter boats for sports fishing.
First thing you notice when you get here is the snow capped mountains(which will knock your socks off) . See moose wandering down the side of the road,or a fox or bear wandering along.
I got here 3 days after I graduated high school in June of 1967. I grew up in west L.A. and went to high school in Mendocino County in northern Calif.
As I tell the tourist, shit man I ran out of gas and am still here.Or Im on parole and they wont let me leave. Truth is I cant think of any other place I want to hang my hat.
Since this is an old thread, I'll cut and paste it PM you and also post it.
...........................Alaskan aka..Dennis..............

[HippieAdrien]

hey, man alaska's awesome. i'm in anchorage. but i'v been to seward and hope and they're all rad. i lived here all my life. it's just groovy.

[Alaskan]

Hi Adrien: Hello from Seward. I havn't lived here my whole life, only about 40 years.
Don't know if it's rad ? We dont have any fast food joints or traffic lights.
The fishing is great and the view of the ocean and mountains are worth a million bucks. I think a young man your age would get bored to death living here.
Come on down and enjoy yourself........Dennis.......

[jo_k_er_man]

one of my friends works up on the slope for Conoco/Serverson... he says alaska is absolutely amazing.. but he still flys back to minnesota every two weeks when he has off... oh yea.. and he makes some serious cash up there too... 80K+ year

[Alaskan]

Jokerman:
I to have worked in Prudue Bay off and on over the years. My first job there was building the pads for the first loads of freight and equipment coming to start work on the oil fields.
My last work there was about 6 years ago running a tug boat at west dock, the main receiving harbor for the slope.
The big problem these days is there is too many out of state workers there, taking the oil money out of state. About the only money spend here may be a couple of cocktails at the bar at the Achorage airport while they wait for their flight home.
We dont have a state income tax so none of the money stays here.
..............Alaskan.....................Republic of Alaska............................

[LucidDreamer]

I live in anchorage, its not too cold as far as coldest in the us... well I take that back there are some really cold places up state. I have also lived in North Dakota.... it was colder there then here in Anchorage beleive it or not, the coldest constant temp was around -20 here and that was only like a few days, in Grandforks I seen it well below -40 for weeks and its consistantly below zero in the winter there. Here atleast its usually in the 10s to 20s all winter. Oh I was born in SoCal(huntington beach) grew up there for 21 years and I tell you what I love Anchorage I miss it when I travel to visit family in cali. I will keep residence for life here!

[freeinalaska]

Hi LucidDreamer. I live north of Fairbanks. Pretty warm in Anchorage today eh. We've warmed up ourselves to a whopping 23 today. It's good for the halloween festivities. I know what you mean about leaving the state, it doesn't take too long to miss it. So what do you do down south there?

[Alaskan]

Lucid Dreamer: Hi from Seward. 42 here and raining.
Havn't left the state in 6 years and was homesick after 3 days in Washington state.
Tell folks I didn't leave anything in the lower 48 I need to go get, so I guess I'll stay here.. Have a nice winter.......Dennis

[Lady of the Freaks]

matt, if you move to alaska, you're gonna need studded snow tires for your ride. ;)

[LucidDreamer]

FreeInAlaska: Yeah Alaska is great, Ive worked here before back in 01 on boat out of Dutch Harbor. But after sept 11 I joined the Military which has what Brought me to this great state.
ALASKAN: I know know its like where ever I go this is my home, untill I moved here even when I lived in ND, Cali was my home. Alaska herself drew me in.... LOL

[squawkers7]

Have any of you been to Coldfoot Camp? I was checking out jobs there.

[freeinalaska]

Have any of you been to Coldfoot Camp? I was checking out jobs there.

I run the Coldfoot telephone company. I'm up there all the time. Coldfoot Camp is a great group of people and everyone seem to like working there. The camp manager is a great guy. Sure alot of the jobs are service industry jobs like dishwashing and room cleaning, but interested, motivated poeple can end up as river rafting guides.

Beautiful country up there being in the Brooks Range. It is the halfway point for truckers running the haul road from Fairbanks to the north slope oil fields, so lots of truck traffice through there.

I would recommend the place as a place to work.

ETA- The camp itself isn't really much to look at. The hotel is an old ATCO pipeline setup, which is basically moblie home looking units assembled together, and summer employee housing are wall tents with no power and the bathroom facilities a walk away. There is a bar in the cafe, but employees aren't allowed to drink there.

[mictihtoya]

Anyone here live in Juneau?

[Hippified_RCer]

ive got fam right near juneau. wicked tiny town too. i forgot the name but its some weird russian name. wen i finish school im gonna be moving up to AK. i cant wait, cuz most of my moms brothers and sisters live in AK

[Mrs. White]

Thread back from the dead - I'm from Anchorage, AK. Been up here for almost 20 years. I haven't left since I got here, and only plan to leave to possibly meet some family that's getting old in the lower 48. I love it up here, it is the most beautiful wonderland of all. :)

[freeinalaska]

Hi Mrs. White. I certainly agree with it being the most beautiful wonderland here.

[Mrs. White]

I can't wait for the winter wonderland we are about to have, but I am more thankful for the nice summer we actually got this year! I went to 3 festivals and the weather was nice for all of them, including the fair.

[freeinalaska]

With the exception of some July wildfire smoke we have had an epic summer here around Fairbanks as well. September has been just awesome. And yeah, I'm looking forward to winter, too.

[Mrs. White]

That smoke was horrible in Anchorage too, it made my lungs hurt after a couple days or so of it being around. It's a shame that every summer we get fires that burn our beautiful forests, and sometimes alot of it. Very awesome that there are other Alaskans on here.

Cheers!